Ministers’ salary increases transparent – Williams

Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams yesterday defended the increase in salaries to top members of the APNU+AFC government saying that the process used to do so was transparent.

“I think it is transparent don’t you? But those questions have been answered already. I don’t wish to deal with that question now. My colleagues have spoken on that question,” he said in response to questions raised by a reporter outside the Supreme Court.

Williams was speaking moments after a visit to the Supreme Court Registry.

He told reporters that “it [the increase] can’t be hidden because it has to be something that has to be laid in Parliament…” and “Parliament hasn’t sat.”

He indicated that he would be dealing specifically with the administration of justice and the Supreme Court registry and no other issue.

The government has been severely criticised for the 50% salary increases given to some ministers mere months after they were sworn into office.

Some critics have pointed out that the coalition government would have campaigned on providing a better life for all Guyanese and while it had promised a significant increase for public servants, it only awarded a 5% increase.

According to the Official Gazette, Cabinet ministers will now receive $10,439,124 annually, a 50% increase from what was previously stated in the Principal Act.

Junior ministers will earn $8,346,492, an over 16% increase from the annual salary of a Cabinet minister under the former administration, which was $6,959,412 annually.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo will now receive $20,580,000 annually, an over $2 million increase from what was previously stipulated in the Principal Act, taking his monthly salary to over $1.7 million.

Vice-Presidents, other than the Prime Minister, are to be paid $11,135,064 per annum.

Also enjoying a 50% increase will be the Speaker of the National Assembly, who will remain on par with Cabinet ministers as well as the Leader of the Opposition.

When asked to justify the increase on Tuesday last, Minister of State Joseph Harmon told reporters, “The ministers of government now justify an increase. The salary of a minister, a senior minister is five hundred and sixty something thousand a month. That is money I paid to one of my attorneys that works for me when I was in private practice. Why should I be working for that?”

President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Patrick Yarde has since said that though he saw nothing wrong with the increases, similar considerations must be given to other qualified persons and the inadequacies of salaries across the public sector should be addressed.